


In the Background

by Detavot



Series: BBKidsWeek [6]
Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Canon - Manga, Gen, I really loved McMillan's support in the manga, Manga & Anime, bbkidsweek, but I wanted to go more in depth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 18:43:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15646686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Detavot/pseuds/Detavot
Summary: McMillan as his opportunity shines and fades.





	In the Background

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Favourite Moment
> 
> In the manga, McMillan is brushed aside as some enthusiastic kid. But McMillan is in the Sapphire Owls, and he's the first one to even approach o!Ciel even after he was scolded by the Prefects.... I don't think he gets the recognition he deserves. 
> 
> McMillan knows more than what he shows.

    McMillan had never been that guy. You know, _that guy_ who everybody knew. He had never been the friend either. You know, _the friend_ who was popular amongst his circle. McMillan had always been the ordinary person in an ordinary bunch. His older brother had gotten Father’s straight hair, charisma and intelligence, a perfect sight and a perfect life. McMillan couldn't bring himself to blame him. Some people were just born fortunate, after all.

    That didn't mean McMillan was not envious.

    McMillan had inherited Mother’s curly hair, a shy personality, an imperfect sight, and an imperfect life. The one thing he and his brother shared was Father’s intelligence, though even that was limited for McMillan. His brother could twist his words around and make even the most stubborn people bow down to his will, he could look at the numbers and see what exactly he needed to do. McMillan, however, could only ever find the words to best explain himself and his actions, and struggled with just understanding numbers.

    McMillan knew that sometimes, life just kicked you down and waited for you to build yourself up. He had read it in the books he so loved time and time again, how the protagonist would always have God on his side. He hoped God was watching. McMillan was going to make his family and his Lord proud, he was going to pave his path with his own two hands. And, in order to do that, he first needed to connect with people.

    He had a reasonable amount of friends, all of them in his own grade and in his own level in aristocracy. He knew he needed to do better. If he could become even the fag of the Prefect for the Sapphire Owls or, more ideally and a bit more harder, _become_ the Perfect for the Sapphire Owls… That would give him a very good start. This school filled with England’s future was a golden opportunity for him, if only he could seize the moment for it all to fall into place…

    In his books, the protagonists’ moment to shine was always dramatic and very obvious. There was golden sunlight shining to the objective, a dramatic speech, a heroic entrance. This wasn't like that. McMillan’s opportunity came with someone who stepped on grass. He knew the punishment coming for the poor boy as the Prefects all rushed to him, until Edgar Redmond only straightened the boy’s tie and stated his surname.

    “Phantomhive… Never heard of it,” Edgar said, but McMillan knew it was a lie. The Phantomhives were a family you’d have to be deaf in order to not hear, especially in the past two years. The strongest, the most influential family out there… Even Edgar hadn't wanted to get on Phantomhive’s bad side, despite his family’s fortune and being a Prefect.

    The boy was clueless on the rules McMillan had spent his months memorising, and McMillan knew his long-awaited opportunity had come at last. He ran to the blue haired boy but couldn't manage to stop in time, running into him in the process, though the boy was more bewildered than mad so McMillan rolled with it. Explaining how the school functioned as well as dropping his name into the conversation once or twice, he quickly led the Phantomhive to their class. McMillan noticed his remarks about the rules, but brushed it off. He was a new student, that was all.

    With a new day started new discussions. McMillan had never been close to him, but Collett’s mysterious disappearance had quickly spread through their house. “It really is weird, isn't it?” McMillan told Phantomhive. The boy smiled and shrugged, his posture and his expressions were arrogant and showed regality, and McMillan noticed with an excited shiver that even his brother would look like a socially awkward little boy in Ciel Phantomhive's presence.

    “I had been waiting to attend the school for quite some time,” Ciel said, taking out his notebook. “When a spot cleared up for me, I was more than happy to accept it.”

    McMillan had researched the Phantomhive family as soon as he had gone home, and found out that Ciel’s entire household, except for a caretaker named Tanaka, and family were reported to be dead. Ciel Phantomhive had been granted the title Earl at the age of ten, which was very unusual but he guessed that such a powerful family wouldn't be stopped just because of age. With such fortune, Ciel could easily have hired the best tutors out there to educate him… So why had he waited for Weston?

    It was probably to regain some part of his lost childhood back. McMillan was saddened by that thought and shook it off so that Ciel wouldn't have to see his frown. The boy probably had seen enough frowns and pity to last him a lifetime, now was the time for smiles and excitement. He chatted about anything he could think of, though only the topic of books seemed to draw Ciel’s interest. They talked about different writing styles and the types of authors there were, and Ciel recommended an author by the name of “Arthur Conan Doyle”. McMillan had never heard of the writer, but Ciel’s insistence was enough for him to keep an open mind.

    “Fag?” Ciel asked, chewing on a scone and trying to get a part of his hair under control. McMillan smiled, quick to explain. He liked how Ciel didn't seem to find his explanations or talks annoying. McMillan noticed that Ciel seemed to shy away from physical contact, though, and he quickly filed that information away for later. Ciel swallowed his scone. “In other words, acting as their butler… Do the Prefects have fags?”

    “Of course,” McMillan explained. He then remembered what he supposed could be used to soften the scowl on the boy’s face. “It’s kind of like having a brother within the school.”

    “A brother…” As expected, Ciel got a faraway look in his eye and his scowl suddenly softened. McMillan wondered what Ciel’s brother had been like to have such a big impact on the living twin. Well, whatever. McMillan could become the best friend Ciel could ever have, or become the brother he must be missing. He would support Phantomhive and gain both a friend and an opportunity in life. He couldn't believe the luck he had!

    But then Phantomhive was gone just like a dream, and McMillan was left in the background yet again.

    He cried as he faded.


End file.
